Either way you cut it, having a citizenship question asked in the US Census is a good thing for Montana. So why would Governor Steve Bullock (D-MT) oppose it?

As Phil Drake reports for The Great Falls Tribune:

"A citizenship question – such as the one proposed – chills participation in the census process and risks undercounting persons in areas with large minority populations,” he wrote.

Even if you could argue that a citizenship question would "chill participation" in the Census- that would only help Montana. Why? Montana used to have two members of the US House of Representatives, and we now only have one- despite topping the one million mark in population. As the numbers of illegal immigrants have swelled in population, and their counts get included in the Census, Montana loses power back in Washington DC. We also lose federal dollars as result.

Which all takes us back to our question: Why would Governor Steve Bullock (D-MT) oppose it? Is he representing the State of Montana, or the State of California? Or, more likely, is he still that focused on his presidential pipe dream?

 

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